This invention relates to a boot having a sole plate that can easily and quickly be replaced with other sole plates having different types of traction surfaces.
Boots or shoes having replaceable soles are well known in the prior art and are used in many different applications where it is desired to have multiple different traction surfaces available on a single boot. One such application is a wader used by fishermen. The normal traction surface is felt which works well when walking on a sand or gravel river bottom. However, if the river bottom is rocky, spikes are preferred and the type of spike depends on the size and type of rocks. If the user wants to wear the boots in a boat, a soft rubber surface is desirable, and if the boots are worn while hiking into and out of the river a harder rubber surface with a tread pattern is preferred. However, in the prior art boots of this type the replaceable soles are either difficult to attach and remove or they do not firmly attach to the bottom of the boot.
The subject invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art boots by placing a cavity in the sole of the boot and having a sole plate that fills this cavity. A tab located on the toe end of the sole plate fits into a slot located in the peripheral wall of the cavity to hold the toe end of the sole plate in the cavity. A strap attached to the heel end of the sole plate is received by an attachment device located at the back of the boot. The attachment device places the strap in tension to hold the heel end of the sole plate in the cavity.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.